Brady has often spoken about wanting to play until he's at least 40 when his current contract ends. But his age ultimately matters less than his level of play, and he knows it.

"I love playing for this team and I love representing this team and hopefully I can do that for as long as I can. When I suck, I'll retire," Brady said Tuesday on WEEI-AM, via The Boston Globe. "But I don't plan on sucking for a long time.

"So hopefully that leads me to being here and there's no place I'd rather be."

Brady was answering questions about whether he expected to finish his career in New England and if it pained him to see his childhood hero Joe Montana end his career in Kansas City. Brady won't rule out someday playing elsewhere, but it's hard to see that happening in the next two to three years. His wildly low contract and improving offensive weapons should only help his staying power.

The Patriots have Jimmy Garoppolo waiting in the wings, but the length of Brady's tenure in New England isn't about Garoppolo. It's about Brady ... not sucking.